Review: Made in Korea

Film: Made in Korea
Cast: Priyanka Arul Mohan, Park Hye‑jin, No Ho‑jin, Rishikanth, Jang Jaehyeon, Jenson and others
Director & Writer: Ra. Karthik
Producer: Srinidhi Sagar
Music Composer: Hesham Abdul Wahab
Cinematography: Prasanna Kumar
Editor: Anthony
Production Company: Rise East Entertainment
Rating: 3.5 stars

Director Ra Karthik comes up with a heart-warming tale that is quite entertaining, informative and even inspiring to an extent. It’s a simple story of a young girl who goes about silently living her dream. But interestingly, it is the simplicity of the story that makes it appealing.

Synopsis…
Shenba (Priyanka Arul Mohan) is a curious little girl living along with her parents in a beautiful hill station in Tamil Nadu. As a child, she plays a Tamil queen who left for Korea in a school play. From that point on, Shenba develops an interest in Korea. Eventually, that interest turns into a dream for Shenba. She dreams of going to Korea and living there one day. Initially, her parents think that this is just an infatuation and that it will disappear over time. However, Shenba’s dream of going to Korea only keeps growing with her.

Time goes by and Shenba becomes a young maiden. As her parents begin looking for an ideal match for her, Shenba urges the love of her life, to come meet her parents and ask her hand in marriage. However, the man (played by Rishikanth) is in a bad financial state and in no position to wed Shenba. A strange set of developments that happen next force Shenba to leave for Korea. Without friends, support or a job, Shenba arrives in Korea, broken-hearted and desperate. How she overcomes these challenges to not just find a way to live in Korea but also make good, trustworthy friends is what Made in Korea is all about.

Performances:

Priyanka Arul Mohan plays the central character of Shenba with grace and charm. She single-handedly carries the film on her shoulders. What’s more, she does it so effortlessly that you cannot but admire her.

She is ably supported by a good supporting cast — both Indian and Korean. Jenson Diwakar, who is fast establishing himself as a credible character artiste, delivers a highly impressive performance as a worker in Shenba’s household. Rishikanth, who plays her love interest in the film, too comes up with a neat performance.

Korean actors Park Hye‑jin, No Ho‑jin, and Jang Jaehyeon come up with realistic and measured performances to make the story of Made in Korea a realistic one.

Analysis:
The film’s pace is gentle and that is what makes a film like ‘Made in Korea’ highly enjoyable. It’s like taking your own sweet time to explore a city and relish its beauty without being under the pressure of catching a flight back home.

The narration is simple for the most part and requires no extra effort on the part of the audiences to understand the plot.

Prasanna Kumar’s beautiful visuals make the film a treat to watch. Adding to the audience’s delight is Hesham Abdul Wahab’s mellifluous music, which aptly amplifies the emotion being showcased on screen. Anthony’s editing is sharp and to the point, keeping the film interesting at all points in time.

Drawbacks:

Some portions in the film appear a little exaggerated. But then, such portions are few in number and they make little or no difference to the overall impact of the film.

Verdict:
Made in Korea is a wholesome entertainer that is worth watching, not just for the inspiring story it looks to narrate but also for the point it seeks to make about forgiveness.